Cheney returns for friendly audience

Analysis:

This story is based upon a recent announcement that Vice President Cheney is coming to Grand Rapids as part of the Bush administration’s strategy to gain support for their Iraq policy. What does the headline communicate to readers? Does it imply that Grand Rapids is pro-administration, pro-Cheney, pro-War, or that the event will have only Bush administration supporters in the audience? The story is framed early on that Cheney is coming to Grand Rapids to promote the administration’s Iraq policy based on the recommendations of General Patraeus. The article then quickly mentions that this is the third time that Bush or Cheney has been to West Michigan in the past year, with a quote from Cheney and Bush from each trip. The Press reporter cites Lansing based political analyst Bill Ballenger who speculates on why Cheney is coming to West Michigan. Readers should ask themselves why so much space was devoted to speculation on the administration’s recent visits to the area. It is interesting that there is no mention that in the past two visits that there has been public opposition to the adminsitration’s Iraq policy, particularly when Bush was in East Grand Rapids in April of 2007. The Press reporter instead has comments from the Ford Museum and Gerald Ford Foundation about how the audience will be “a mixture of people,” despite the fact that there is no mention of how people were selected to attend the Cheney speech.

The article then shifts its focus to the Iraq policy and frames it as an attempt by the Bush administration to counter the Democratic Party’s proposal on Iraq as it relates to Troop withdrawal, even though not much is said about the proposal other than it was “for a bigger and more rapid troop withdrawal.” The article then mentions the lack of public support for the war and the surge and cites an Associated Press poll that supports the idea that many Americans are against the Us Occupation of Iraq. However, the article doesn’t mention what question those polled were asked.

The last section of the article cites Congressman Ehlers position on this issue who agrees with General Patraeus’ assessment and seems to blame the Iraqi government, by stating “It appears the bigger problem is getting the Iraqi government to cooperate.” The article provides no dissenting opinions on the Iraq policy and never mentions what the Iraqi people’s perspective is on the ongoing occupation.

Story:

Grand Rapids – As the political battle over troops in Iraq intensifies, it may be no accident Vice President Dick Cheney will stop in West Michigan to state the case for war.

Cheney is scheduled to deliver a policy speech on iraq Friday morning at Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, an address museum Deputy Director Jim Kratsas called a “great honor” to host.

It marks the third West Michigan speech in less than a year by Bush or Cheney on the Iraq war.

The Cheney visit will follow a Thursday prime time address by Bush in which he is expected to endorse the recommendations of his top general and top diplomat in Iraq, reducing the American troop presence by as many as 30,000 by next summer but conditioning those and further cuts on continued progress.

In September 2006, Cheney urged commitment to the war before a gathering of Guard and Reserve troops and their families at Wyoming’s Grand Valley Armory.

In that speech, he called Iraq “the central front in the war on terror.”

In April, President Bush spoke at East Grand Rapids High School as he laid out the tactics behind the “surge” strategy he asserts will turn the tide of war in Iraq.

One analyst said the region’s conservative traditions provide a predictable–and supportive—platform for such appearances.

“He could go anywhere in the United States, and he’s picking Grand Rapids again,” said Lansing political analyst Bill Ballenger. “Obviously (he and Bush) feel very comfortable in West Michigan and feel comfortable coming again and gain.”

Ballenger speculated Cheney might be drawn to the museum because of his service as President Ford’s chief of staff. Cheney was deputy assistant to Ford and his chief of staff from November 1975 to the end of his term in January 1977.

“I think Cheney has this very personal connection with Grand Rapids because of Ford,” Ballenger said.

Museum deputy director Kratsas was scrambling to make sure everything is in place by Friday. Cheney will speak to an invited audience of about 200 in the museum’s auditorium.

“If it’s a policy speech, naturally it’s a national event,” Kratsas said.

Martin Allen, chairman emeritus of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation, said Cheney’s audience will include a cross-section of the community. Allen did not say how participants were selected.

“It’s a mixture of people from different walks of life, military, some school teachers, students, business people,” Allen said.

Bush officials are making a major push this week for support of his war strategy, even as Democratic members of Congress press for a bigger and more rapid troop withdrawal than what Bush has proposed.

According to an Associated Press report, Bush will call for withdrawal of 30,000 troops next summer if conditions permit, echoing recommendations by Gen. David Petraeus.

That still would leave 130,000 troops in Iraq, with no clear sign from the administration how long they would remain.

The political infighting comes against the backdrop of dwindling public support for the war.

An associated Press poll released Tuesday found that 59 percent believe the war will be judged a complete or partial failure. Nearly 60 percent rate the recent troop increase a failure.

As it approaches the end of its fifth year, the war looms as the dominant issue in the 2008 race for the White House and control of congress.

U.S. Rep. Vernon Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids, said Cheney likely will expand on the remarks of Petraeus, who maintained before a skeptical Capitol Hill audience that conditions are improving in Iraq.

Petraeus told members of the House and Senate that the counterinsurgency tactics applied in the past few months are yielding dividends.

But neither he nor Iraq Ambassador Ryan Crocker could tell members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday when Iraq might achieve political stability.

“Neither believe we can see beyond next summer,” Ehlers said.

Ehlers conceded that even if security conditions are improving – a point many critics of the administration’s policy do not concede – the Iraq government has yet to achieve significant political reconciliation.

“It appears the bigger problem is getting the Iraqi government to cooperate,” Ehlers said.